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Diamond Jewelry Gifts Most Meaningful And Memorable, Survey Finds | December 23, 2015 (0 comments)
New York, NY—The newly formed Diamond Producers Association has conducted its first consumer research, designed to get a quick read on the pre-holiday diamond jewelry buying intent and behaviors of consumers in households with $75,000 or more in annual income.
The survey was taken immediately following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, of 400 respondents ages 18-64 of appropriate income and in a married or committed relationship. The survey also was balanced to ensure a robust sample of Millennial-age consumers, says Sally Morrison, who was recently named the new managing director of marketing for the organization.
Highlights of the DPA’s findings include:
- Of all the gifts men can give a significant other for the holidays, diamond jewelry has a very high success rate. DPA polled people who had given or received diamond jewelry in the past; ALL women said it had been her favorite gift.
- According to people who have given or received diamond jewelry in the past, four out of five women kept the gift and didn’t exchange it for another gift or another style. It really meant something to them.
- This holiday, both Millennials and other age groups say they’d rather receive one meaningful gift than lots of smaller gifts. Those small gifts are usually the ones that end up being returned, or forgotten. In fact, those who didn’t give or get diamond jewelry often couldn’t even remember what last year’s Christmas gift was.
- One in four men who gave other gifts couldn’t remember what they’d given.
- One in five women couldn’t remember what they’d received.
Diamond jewelry is actually a common holiday gift because many men know just how successful they will be with it, says Morrison:
- Last holiday season, over one-quarter of men gave diamond jewelry to their wife or girlfriend. This year, one-third said in November that they plan to.
- Millennials are significantly more likely—almost twice as likely—to have purchased diamond jewelry than non-Millennials. “We think that has to do with their desire to do something more personal and intimate,” says Morrison. This isn’t a generation that thinks gift cards are the best way to treat a loved one. They want to communicate how well they know each other, that they are paying attention.
- Only about one in ten men say they are currently buying diamond jewelry online, though well over half do their research there.
- The main types of jewelry women want for the holiday are diamond earrings and a diamond ring; this was true for all ages, including Millennials. The third pick for Millennials was a diamond solitaire necklace; the third pick for older age groups was a diamond tennis bracelet.
- This year, 70% of Millennial men had started shopping by Black Friday, while only 30-40% of men over 35 had.
DPA did a radio media tour last Friday with both national and regional segments, where we shared some of these facts with consumer outlets in the course of encouraging men to consider diamonds a last-minute gift this holiday season. DPA also provided support for reputable local jewelers in a number of markets during these local segments.
Sally Morrison, managing director of marketing for the Diamond Producers Association.
Top image: earrings by Rahaminov for Forevermark